Giving a party at home and would like to get a DJ. Do you have someone you like who's not too expensive?

–Lee

Yes! Call our friend Johnny Rey @ 718/837-2017. Yes, that's his real name. He's a great guy and very reasonable. Best of all, he'll totally "get" what kind of music you want and really knows how to make a party rock.

We're going on vacation next week and I'm white as a ghost. Was thinking of a little spray tan to get a head start. Do you know any place that won't leave me orange and streaky?

–Vicky

We haven't tried them ourselves but our sources say that Faux Glow is the best. It's totally safe and they use organic products...so it seems like a pretty good bet instead of the ol' "fake and bake!"

I'm making french onion soup and the recipe calls for cooking sherry. Can I substitute red wine?

–Rachel

Yes, it kind of all burns off in the cooking anyway. Here's Alyssa's mother's easy recipe for Onion Soup:

2 large yellow onions, chopped

1 stick of butter

2 14-ounce cans of beef broth

cooking sherry

stale french bread, sliced

grated parmesan cheese

sliced swiss and mozzarella cheese

Saute onions in the butter in a large soup kettle. When clear, add beef stock, 1 can of water, and 1 can of sherry. Simmer about 1 hour. While it's cooking, butter and toast the french bread. When soup is ready, put a slice of bread in each soup crock. Cover with soup and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, Cover with sliced cheese, bake in the oven and broil for a minute or two until brown.

We're moving to NYC next year and would like to move into a neighborhood with a good public school. Any good websites you can recommend?

–Jeri

Have a look at Inside Schools. Not only does the site have loads of information about the individual schools, it also gives you info about enrollment, open houses, and other essentials that will help you navigate what can be an overwhelming prospect.

My daughter likes to make fancy cupcakes. What's a good cookbook that would make it pretty easy for us to do?

–Jen

Alyssa's daughter loves Hello, Cupcake! Don't be put off by the fancy cupcakes on the cover--what's inside is much simpler and each cupcake design is broken down into really easy-to-follow steps. Pull this one out for a rainy-day playdate...sure to be a big hit.

Where can I find a black suit for a four year old? My son is in a wedding and it's either that or rent a tux. Would prefer not to spend a fortune on something he'll wear once.

–Alice

Yes, they'll be made of polyester but Century 21 always has a couple of racks of them. Spend a little bit to have it tailored to fit, add a better shirt, and nobody will notice. If Century has nothing in the way of dress shoes, make a stop at Payless. They're always good for some black shoes (that your son will likely take off at the reception anyway!).

We can't find my son's birth certificate. Do I have to go downtown to get another one?

–Laura

No! Assuming your child was born in NYC, you can order a certified copy online. You can get it in as quickly as two days via Fedex, or it takes about ten days via regular mail.